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Legiones Skitarii
The Legiones Skitarii, also known as the Tech-Guard, are the core of the vast war machine of the Adeptus Mechanicus. These cyborg footsoldiers are the workhorses of any Mechanicus conquest and their enormous ranks compose an incredibly potent combined-arms militart force, including legions of infantry, armoured vehicles, scouts, and everything in-between. Highly flexible and individually superior warriors to unaugmented Guardsmen, the Skitarii are perhaps not as famous or as earth-shakingly destructing as the great Titan Legions of the AdMech. But they are the backbone of the AdMech's military might and without them the Mechanicus would have fallen long ago - either to alien invaders or to the influence of the Terran Imperium. Structure Each and every Forge World controls its own Skitarii armies, and due to this there are an innumerable number of variations amongst them when it comes to colours, augmentations, armour, wearpons, and organisational structure - often in wayts highly influenced by their Forge World's culture & strengths. However the majority do not stray too far from the practices of the famous and colossal Martian Legiones Skiratii. Under standard Martian structure, the largest denominattion of Skitarii is the Legion. A Forge World may command any number of Legions, and each Legion is formed from at least 5 Macroclades. A Macroclade is in turn formed from 4 Cohorts, which are composed of 3 Maniples 'each. The Maniple is the most basic combined-arms unit in the Legiones Skitarii, and typically consists of 30-40 Skitarii in addition to a number of war machines. While a flexible combined-arms Maniplie is the most usual type fielded, Maniples can be more specialised such as armoured vehicle Maniples & dedicated close-assault Maniples. Within Maniples, Skitarii are formed into squads of 5-10 infantry or assigned to crew vehicles that usually operate in squadrons of 2 or 3. The basic Maniple is roughly comparable to an Imperial Guard Platoon in size, but thanks to their potent augmentations, arcane weapons, and flexible equipment & tactics a Skitarii Maniple is a far more dangerous foe. Personnel Recruitment Skitarii are created in a great many ways, often highly influenced by the common practices of their Forge World of origin. Many are recruited from the Menial population, while others may be conscripted troublemakers. Many Forge Worlds - especially those of a Biologis persuastion - vat grow fetuses en masse to serve as their warriors too. Meanwhile - on rarer occassions - a Forge World may be awarded (or take) non-AdMech humans such as Guardsmen or even civilians to 'upgrade' into their own Skitarii cyber-warriors. Augmentation No matter how they come to be Skitarii, they are all extensively augmented with arcane mechanicus science into soldiers far more deadly than they were. Given the vastness of the galaxy these augmentations vary immensely, with some Forge Worlds replacing every organ with triply redundant bionics while others pump them full of growth stimulants & synthmuscles. However generally the most typical augments include reinforced resilience, usually via bionic vital organs and subdermal armour. Strength augmentation is often achieved with bionic limbs and it is standard Martian practice to replace every Skitarii's legs at the knees with tireless bionics. Sensory augmentations may also be standard, though are usually reserved for roles that requier it. Perhaps the most universal Skitarii augmentation is cranial communication uplinks, allowing Skitarii to transmit & receive data & commands directly into their minds. Much like with the Priesthood, the level of augmentation amongst Skitarii varies immensely, not just between Forge Worlds but between units. It doesn't take much for a fanciful Techpriest to decide to fully outfit his Skitarii with augments of his own wishes, while role optimisation and battlefield injuries often precipitate particular augmentations on an individual level. Naturally however the more experienced and higher in rank a Skitarii becomes, the more augmentations they tend to sport. Personality Each Skitarii is an unflinchingly loyal warrior, devoted utterly to the Omnissiah and trained, drilled, and uploaded with combat expertise constantly to allow them to use the entire AdMech armoury with great proficiency. In battle they are generally noted as cold, methodical, and professional - though this is not necessarily a constant and Skitarii getting caught up in fanatically aggressive fervour for the Machine-God is not unheard-of. The degree of 'humanity' a Skitarii retains varies drastically from Forge World to Forge World. Many view them as little more than equipment, assigning them numbers and deploying them as little more than weapons. Others may afford their Skitarii the same level of independence as the Priesthood itself, allowing them names and to intermingle with comrades more socially (or what passes for socialising within the AdMech). All approaches have their drawbacks & benefits, but no matter what a Skitarii will always be far from human, their cranial logis implants and uploaded tactical data giving them an predatory mind ruled by logic & doctrine. Designations Most Skitarii across the galaxy come under four main designations. Other Forge World specific types of Skitarii do exist in innumerable variants across the galaxy, but virtually every Forge World forms the bulk of their Legions with these four: *'Rangers - The most numerous of the Skitarii, Rangers deploy in infantry squads and serve as skirmishing and ranged-focus troops. Primarily armed with the powerful Galvanic Rifle, Rangers are crack shots and also make use of Plasma Calivers, Arc Rifles, & Transuranic Arquebuses as special weapons. Ranger is also the designation of Skitarii that serve as crewed vehicle gunners. Skitarii Rangers often sport leg & occular bionics. *'Vanguards' - Assault infantry, these Skitarii are aggressive and make use of shorter ranged weapons as well as melee, naturally making them most adept in close assault and urban environments. The Vanguards are primarily armed with the toxic Radium Carbine, this tainted rapid-fire weapon offering potent short-range firepower while poisoning enemies struck by its radioactive shells. Due to their long exposure to Rad-weapons Vanguards tend to be irradiated themselves, weakening the fortitude of any living thing that allows the Vanguards too close. Vanguards favour bionic arms for additional melee potency and sensory upgrades such as hearing to improve accuity in the chaos of close combat, and can also be equipped with special weapons. Skitarii Vanguard are also the personnel that pilot crewed vehicles. *'Sicarans' - Skitarii that have been destroyed in battle so severely that they require near-full cybernetic augmentation are crafted into the disturbing Sicarans. Usually little more than the mangled remains of a head & torso, Sicarans are encased in fully enclosed shells with spindly, triple-jointed bionic limbs, making them incredibly swift and lethal in close quarters. Sicaran Infiltrators utilise pistols & blades and are notoriously adept in guerilla warfare, while Sicaran Ruststalkers instead wield transonic melee weapons and tend to burst from shadows, swamps, and other dark places to ambush foes in a whirlwind of melee violence. Sicarans are rare & disturbing warriors that inspire deep fear in their enemies. *'Ironstriders' - The elite of the Skitarii. Rangers or Vanguards that have proven their metle in battle time and again are awarded with an Ironstrider Engine to serve as their mount. These swift bipedal wealkers are peerless flanking & scouting units, and the Skitarii that ride them excellent warriors. Ironstriders are in two varieties: Sydonian Dragoons - armed with pistols and lethal taser lances, and Ballistarii - armed with twin autocannons or lascannons for heavy support. Heirarchy The Legiones Skitarii have a straightforward rank structure and promotions are given by Techpriests only on the basis of ability & experience. *'Skitarius Master' - The field commander for a full Macroclade. The Master of the 1st Macroclade of a Legion is also the Legion commander. Often completely bionic and dangerously efficient tacticians, Skitarius Masters know the optimum strategy against any foe. *'Skitarius Prime' - The field commander for a Cohort. Capable of communicating with evdery one of their warriors instantly, each Skitarius Prime conducts an orchestra of killing machines with exact precision. *'Skitarius Alpha' - The leaders of a single squad or unit of vehicles. The most senior Alpha in a Maniple will also serve as the Maniple's field commander. Proven warriors that will not hesitate in the field of battle even if the Omnissiah requires they march their squad to certain death, Alphas are also fangerous fighters with access to superior & specialised weapons. *'Skitarius' - The basic soldier of the Tech-Guard, that can be found in infantry squads or crewing vehicles. Skitarii can vary from green novices to hardened veterans but are always ferociously efficient with their designation's chosen weapons. Equipment The equipment used by the Skitarii is far more advanced than what is available to the masses of the Imperial Guard & PDFs. In most cases it is also equipment available only to the AdMech itself, the protectionist institution refusing to share its finest creations. Thanks to their augmentations & equipment, a single Skitarius is far superior to a basic Guardsman and rivals veteran Grenadiers or Storm Troopers in combat effectiveness. However they are still greatly inferior to Astartes, relying on heavier weapons & numbers to best such foes. Armour The vast majority of Skitarii don a pattern of environmentally sealed carapace-grade armour known as Skitarii Warplate. As each suit is crafted by their Forge World of origin, Warplate takes innumerous forms across the galaxy though all offer formidable protection - especially from environmental hazards including heat, toxic atmosphere, and radiation. Most typically however Warplate takes the form of a series of articulating, overlapping ceramite & palsteel plates affixed to a flakweave environmental suit filled with shielding & insulation systems. The most distinctive component is a large helmet of moulded ceramite with large occular & respiratory systems. Over this panoply is usually worn a heavy survival cloak that provides additional temperature, dust, and radiation shielding and is usually emblazoned with identifying colours & markings - the colour often signifying the Forge World they hail from. Other personal armour used by the Legiones Skitarii includes Sicaran Battle Armour, an all-enclosing multi-layered alloy that seals the mangled Sicaran within and provides excellent flexibility while dispersing impact forces across the entire shell. It also sports fittings for multiple highly articulate bionic claw-limbs - including digitigrade legs - that give the Sicaran tremendous agility and a disturbing profile. Weapons As the army of the AdMech the Legiones Skitarii have access to some of the finest weapons in the Imperium. Often finely wrought & ornate in appearence in addition ro esoteric & lethal in effects, Skitarii weapons range from magnetically impelled slugs to gravitic torsion cannons and incendiary projectiles. Some of the most common infantry weapons are: *'Galvanic Weapons' - Weapons that fire projectiles via electro-galvanic propulsion. The Galvanic Rifle is the universal small arm for Skitarii Rangers, and this semi-automatic rifle launches high calibre slugs with enough power to rival a heavy stubber, while direct hits activate an energy-conversaion matric within the Galvanic Rounds that allow them to punch clean through carapace. Meanwhile the Galvanic Caster is a rarer, shorter ranged & multi-purpose small arm with a rapid-fire primary action, powerful charged shot action, and underslung ignis launcher. Complex but flexible, Galvanic Casters are excellent weapons for urban & close-quarters combat. *'Radium Weapons' - The standard small arm for Skitarii Vanguard. These conventional firearms use irradiated shells that poison their foes in addition to striking with the same power as amour-piercing autogun rounds. Radium weapons are found as semi-auto Pistols, fully-auto Carbines, and semi-auto sniping Jezzails that use higher calibre shells. *'Arc Weapons' - Special issue weapons that fire bursts of crackling lightning that can melt plasteel and cause havoc with electronic systems near the point of impact. Comes in pistol, rifle, and heavy rifle variants, all semi-automatic. There is aso the Arc Claw, Arc Maul, and Arc Lance, melee weapons that strike with the same crackling burst of energy (the Arc Lance can also fire like an Arc Pistol). *'Phosphor Weapons' - These weapons fire heavy shells that explode in a burst of lethal burning phosphor that is almost impossible to extinguish, making them excellent against entrenched foes. Semi-automatic variants include the pistol and serpenta (long-barelled pistol), as well as the rifle-sized Blaster. The Heavy Phosphor Blaster is a fully-automatic variant that requires a large mounting. *'Transuranic Arquebus' - A massive, extended rifle with a tremendous effective range, the Arquebus fires a solid shell of depleted transuranium that can punch through heavy tank armour with tremendous accuracy while the pressure wave from its impact pulverises crew within. Naturally its use against personnel is dramatically destructive. *'Plasma Caliver' - Another special issue weapon, the Caliver is a fully-automatic plasma gun capable of laying down a ferocious blaze of fire. Almost as dangerous to the user as they are to the enemy, Plasma Calivers can illuminate an entire battlefield in searing plasma. *'Taser Weapons' - Spear-like melee weapons that impact a tremendous electrical charge on impact that can arc and cause additional strikes to the same or nearby targets with enough energy to melt plasteel and burst flesh. Sicaran Infiltrators use the small Taser Goad while Sydonian Dragoons carry the large Taser Lance. *'Stubcarbine' - A heavy pistol used by Sicaran Infiltrators that fires high-calbire heavy stubber shells at a fully-auto rate. *'Flechette Blaster' - An alternative pistol used by Sicaran Infiltrators that fires a hail of high velocity needles at a tremendous rate of fire. *'Transonic Weapons' - Used by Sicaran Ruststalkers, these melee weapons attune their vibration frequency to the material they strike, allowing following strikes to penetrate with ease. Comes in razor & blade sizes in addition to the Chordclaw - an array of finger-mounted transonic claws that can shred foes to pieces. Of course these are the weapons commonly found amongst Martian and Mars-mimicing Skitarii. Other Forge Worlds may use different weapons on a widespread scale across their Legions. Vehicles The Legiones Skitarii make use of a number of potent armoured vehicles in combat. The Ironstrider Engine is an agile bipedal walker that carries a single Skitarii pilot. Utilised as scouts and rapid assault troops when in Sydonian Dragoon configuration, or mobile heavy support when in Ironstrider Ballistarii configuration. The most common and perhaps iconic large vehicle is the Onager Dunecrawler, an armoured heavy weapons platform that moves at a steady pace on four sturdy spider-like legs. Compact and crewed by 2 Skitarii in a heavily armoured core, the Dunecrawler can mount a variety of weapons on its traversing side-mount. The blazing Neutron Laser can destroy enemy armour at great range, while Twin Heavy Phosphor Blasters can be mounted instead for bathing infantry in incendiary shells. For anti-air duties the Dunecrawler can mount an Icarus Array, merging twin Icarus Autocannons and anti-air missile launchers. Perhaps the most common armament however is the Eradication Beamer - a potent disintegration ray whose effects disperse over longer ranges, affecting a larger area but less lethally. At close range an Eradication Beamer can tear apart a battle tank, while at its furthest range can shred light & medium infantry over a large radius. Dunecrawlers are also equipped with shield projectors roughly as effective as personal refractor fields, and are capable of overlapping these shields for additional protection when in squadrons. The other primary armoured vehicle utilised by the Legiones Skitarii is the Skorpius. This swift hover-tank is well armoured and very flexible, featuring several weapons mountings and advanced targeting systems. The battle tank pattern, the Skorpius Disintegrator, sports a fully enclosed hull and turret that can mount either a Ferrumite Cannon (which fires hypervelocity armour-piercing sabots at a rapid rate) or a Belleros Energy Cannon (that fires arcing explosive energy pulses at a rapid rate), while in the hull is a Disruptor Missile Launcher (that fires powerful high explosive missiles). The transport pattern, the Skorpius Dunerider, has a large troop bay to accommodate a full Skitarii squad and several defensive gun mountings, and a frontal assault ramp. While the Ironstrider, Onager, and Skorpius are the most common vehicles utilised by the Legiones Skitarii, there are innumerable designs of war machine (many of which may be limited to single Forge Worlds) in service with the Legiones across the galaxy. Some, like the venerable Krios Battle Tank, are ancient relics no longer reproducable in meaningful numbers. While others such as the Macrocarid Explorators are the customised exploration vehicles of individual Magi. Secutarii The Secutarii - also known as the Titan-Guard - are Skitarii Legions under the direct command of a Titan Legion, and dedicated to the close defence of their God-Machine masters as well as mopping up the stragglers & survivors left in their wake. They also guard the halls of their legion's Collegia Titanicus and are fully inducted into the traditions of their Titan Legion, painted in its colours and devoted to it above all else. Thus they stand apart from the 'regular' Legiones Skitarii, that are a part of the Forge World as a whole. Category:Adeptus Mechanicus